Jane Elliott

In the 1960s, Jane Elliot concocted a revolutionary, albeit arguably simple, exercise intended to drive home the effects of racism. Since then, she has become a leader in diversity training in the workplace, and her simple exercise is still used today in a variety of corporate, government, and educational facilities. Our Jane Elliott videos encapsulate the passion and devotion this pioneer is famous for, as well as provide businesses with exercises, tools, techniques, and tips for encouraging a healthy, dynamic, and diverse workplace environment.

Best known for her blue-eyed/brown-eyed exercise, Jane specializes in forcing people to put themselves in another’s shoes. The blue-eyed video offered here showcases exactly how her original exercise works, separating employees by eye color rather than by skin color, religion, or sexuality. The exercise is multi-layered, first showcasing how inept judging innate qualities actually is by choosing eye color as the separating factor. From there, one eye color is labeled as “ideal,” and subsequently treated as such, driving home how words and actions, and overall social pressure, can cause one group to feel “better than” another relatively quickly. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the training is what occurs in the groups labeled as “less than.” Transforming once vibrant and energetic employees to hesitant individuals in a matter of hours, Elliott’s blue-eyed/brown-eyed exercise simultaneously showcases how a group in “power” quickly abuses that power, and how being relegated to a lesser-group stunts the abilities and personalities of individuals.

Our Jane Elliott diversity videos shine a light on various social issues using time-tested tactics. Any business, no matter how small, can benefit from these videos, and we offer one of the widest selections available, ensuring that you find the specific exercise or training video that works for your company.